New Delhi. At least 11 people were killed after a passenger train collided with a cargo train in central India on Tuesday night, officials said. The accident took place near Bilaspur, about 115 kilometres (70 mi) northeast of Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh state.

According to senior government official Sanjay Agrawal, the cargo train was hit from behind by a local passenger train. After the accident, one of the passengers climbed on top of the wagon.

After hours of relentless efforts, rescuers brought the coach to the ground and with the help of an iron cutter, were able to retrieve the bodies. According to him, the bodies of three more passengers were found there.

Agrawal said that the rescue operation was completed by Wednesday morning and the train movement through the accident site has resumed. Among the deceased are the locomotive driver of the train while the critically injured co-pilot is undergoing treatment at a private hospital, he added.

According to preliminary information, 20 passengers were injured in the accident. All of them have been sent to nearby hospitals for treatment. The Indian Railways said in a statement that a detailed investigation has been initiated to ascertain the cause of the incident. The government has also pledged to provide financial assistance to the families of the deceased and the injured.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bishnu Deo Sai expressed grief over the incident and extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.

Such train accidents are unfortunately not uncommon in India. More than 12 million passengers travel daily on 14,000 railways across the country. Despite the government’s ongoing efforts to improve railway safety, hundreds of accidents occur every year, often blamed on human error or outdated signalling systems.

In 2023, more than 280 passengers died in a horrific train accident in eastern India. It is considered to be one of the worst train accidents in the history of the country.